From Wikitravel Shared

Tanjung Pinang is the main town on the island of Bintan. It is the capital of the newly-created province of Riau Islands in Indonesia. The city is fast growing and now a population around 150 000. It's a trading and shipping center in the region.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By boat

Tanjung Pinang is the main passenger port for Bintan. It is a visa-free and visa-on arrival port. See Indonesia's "get in" section for visa details.

There are frequent ferry connections to/from Singapore (about one hour away), Johor Baru (Malaysia) (two hours away) and Batam (half hour ride) as well as the other Riau Islands. Tanjung Pinang is about 50 minutes by speedboat from Bintan Resorts on the northern part of Bintan. See the main Bintan article for ferry connection details.

All international and inter-island ferries leave from the pier at the southern end of Jalan Merdeka in town. The road leading to the port from Jalan Merdeka is actually Jalan S M Amin or also known as Jalan Samudera. Agents throughout town sell tickets for most ferries and boat, whether international, domestic or Pelni boats. Just find one which advertises the ferry or boat you need.

Pelni boats leave from Kijang port, about 20km east of Tanjung Pinang.

[edit] By road

Buses and taxis link Tanjung Pinang with the port of Tanjung Uban at the northwestern end of Bintan where the are speedboats to/from Telaga Punggur on Batam. The bus terminal is 7 km east of town. Angkut (passenger vans) shuttle between the terminal and town.

From the port of Kijang (where Pelni ships dock) over 20km to the east, there are bemos and taxis to Tanjung Pinang.

25 minutes to the fantastic Trikora beach on the east part on Bintan Island

Tanjung Pinang is about an hour and forty-five minutes south by car from Bintan Resorts on the northern part of Bintan.

[edit] Get around

Central Tanjung Pinang, including the old part of town which is built on stilts, is small enough for you to move around on foot. If you want to move further out, such as to Bintan Mall, there are literally thousands of ojek (motorcycle taxis) waiting to ferry you around.

Only take taxis from the main road. 'City Taxis' charge S$1.50 if you request to leave the urban area. The taxis are affordable once you have sucessfuly bargained. A 40KM trip to Trikora Beach should cost Rp40 000 (S$7). If the driver want to increase the agreed-upon price, leave the taxi as there are plenty around and give the driver half of the original sum.

[edit] See

Tanjung Pinang is today a living trading port, every day hundreds of local ships go in and out of Tanjung Pinang port. Tanjung Pinang has the usual Indonesian energy, crowded and close and charming human contact.

• Buddhist Temple. Contains a fantastic sculpture park.

• Mesjid Raya Mosque, on Penyengat Island. The old vice-royal mosque, which locals claim is made "from egg".

• The old ruler's palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the respected Sultan Haji, who also was creater and author of the first Malay Language grammar book, are among the legacies left by the Riau sultanate.

• The cultural center for stage performances of Malay music and dances is located in Tanjungpinang. The center organize regulary festivals and other preformance. Culture happenings such as music and dance.

• Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument, downtown Tanjung Pinang. 28m tall and raised in memory of the national hero Raja Haji who died during the herotic battle of Malacca against the Dutch in 1784. He was a famous malayan king and had his castle on the island Penyengant right outside Tanjung Pinang.

[edit] Do

Take a walk down to the docks and find yourself a little boat to take you for a round trip around the harbour (10 Singapore Dollars or less). Tanjung Pinang is built into the water and being on the water is the best way to see it.

[edit] Buy

Tanjung Pinang is one of the cheapest cities in Asia. Things are on average 20% cheaper than those found in most industrialized countries. Western standard accomodation cost around $10-$15. Dinner in an exclusive seafood restaurant seldom exceeds $10; in a street cafe less then $3.

[edit] Shopping

Tanjung Pinang is famous for its wooden handicraft, and indonesian designed textile. Everything else is cheap with some products lower then 10% of the prices in Europe.

Antiques: The are few shops in Tanjung Pinang which sell high quality antiques and are worth a visit. Indonesia is famous for its wooden handicraft.

Fakes: Just like in most of South-East Asian countries, pirated goods are available openly. DVD and music CD are everywhere, often not more then one Singapore dollar for a DVD. Quality is "ok". You can test the quality before you buy.

Tea & Coffee: Indonesia abundance of coffee and tea. Very tasty and cheap.

Consumer: Electronics: Very competitively priced in Tanjung Pinang. The shops carry many of what you may need. When buying electronic goods, remember that Singapore uses 240V voltage with a British-style three-pin plug

Cameras & Watches: The main street from the Ferry Terminal has a selection of camera shops. Prices are significantly lower than in many other countries.

[edit] Eat

Tanjung Pinang is the place you will find fantastic seafood restaurant with a wonderful taste. To a price a western will feel very cheap. I recomend crab and snales ( ketam & gong gong )

Or else the are a cafe on every corner. Popular is Padang food. Padang restaurants are common throughout Indoensia and are famous for their spicy food and their unique way of serving it. Padang food is served in small portions of various dishes, in a way similar to tapas or mezedes, but constituting, with rice, a complete meal.

In a Padang-style restaurant, the table will quickly be set with dozens of small dishes filled with highly-flavored foods such as curried fish, fried tempeh, stewed greens, chili eggplant, curried beef liver, fried chicken, and of course, sambals, the spicy sauces ubiquitous at Indonesian tables. Customers take - and pay for - only what you eat from this array of dishes.

The best known Padang dish is rendang, a spicy meat stew. Soto Padang (crispy beef in spicy soup) is local residents' breakfast favorite, meanwhile Sate (beef satay in curry sauce served with ketupat) is a treat in the evening.

[edit] Drink

Although Indonesia is an Islamic country, alcoholic drinks are available in most of the cafes and restaurants, nonetheless. Many Indonesian drink and sometimes they get drunk. Non-Muslim Indonesian drink alcohol only in social setting. If you are stopped by police for drink driving, $10-$20 would "settled" it and you can proceed to drive to your destination.

[edit] Sleep

• Bintan Panorama Hotel, Jln. Haji Agus Salim No. 21, Tel. +62 771-22920, [1]. Nice and clean, english speaking. Air condition, cable tv, Western-style bath, WLAN. Good restaurant: indo/chinese/western. Night club on the panorama balcony. Less then 300m from ferry terminal. S$15/room.

• Bintan Harmoni. Add : Jalan Pancur Tel : +62-771-28742 .About 1 km from the town, or about 5 minutes drive from Tanjung Pinang port. Very clean, full air condition, television set and bathroom ( with heater ) attached in every room. the cost is aguarbly lower than what they offered. price for standard room is S$15 and S$18 for the superior

• Bintan Beach Hotel. 3 km from town, has an attached mall and waterfront park and most of the regular resort facilities.

• Hotel Gunung Bintan Jaya, Jalan S.M. Amin 38 (Conveniently located just outside the port's exit gate). Tel: +62-771-29288. Very clean, bright, although rooms are a little small. S$23 for standard rooms with Indonesian-style squat toilets, S$28 for superior rooms with Western sitting toilets, and S$30 for delux rooms with Western toilets and mini bar. All rooms air conditioned and come with television and telephone.

• Lesmina Hotel, Jl Pasar Ikan No. 29A. (About 5 minutes walk north from the ferry terminal) Tel: +62-771-315000. The hotel has a new look, clean and well kept. Standard rooms cost S$23, superior rooms S$26, delux rooms S$28, family rooms S$31 and executive S$33.

• Laut Jaya Hotel, Jalan Pelantar II 98 (Located to the right at the end of Pelantar II by the waterfront) Tel: +62-771-331471. Reportedly a good hotel with clean rooms, although front rooms my get a bit of noise from waterfront activities and the open eating area which is set up at the pier at night. Rooms from S$20.

• Riau Holidays Indah, Jalan Pelantar II 53 (Located off the main jetty to the left before you reach the waterfront) Tel: +62-771-22715. The hotel looks newly refurbished. Rooms from S$23.

• Bintan Agro Beach Resort, Jalan Trikora Km.36 (About 45 minutes from ferry terminal) Tel: +62 771 28290, [2]. The resort has a private beach, S$121 for deluxe sea view room include breakfast, land transfer from ferry terminal to resort to ferry terminal. Sea sport activities like Diving, Snorkling, Kanooing, Fishing.

[edit] Contact

The are several internet cafes in Tanjung Pinang. You will find one at Bintan Mall in downtown 200 meters from the Ferry Terminal. Our at Ramayana Shopping Mall in uptown. Some hotels have internet connection, but few broadband with wire less lan.

[edit] Get out

Tanjung Pinang is the best place to catch ferries to the other Riau Islands, such as Lingga, Singkep and the Natuna Islands.

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